Five of the best: Flat racing’s greatest horses
Horse racing fans of different generations will have their own view on who is the greatest Flat racing horse of all time. For many it is the sheer number of race victories, for others it’s a horse’s ability to win at a canter, while for some it’s a matter of grace and elegance. Ask the most avid fans to name their top five Flat horses and few lists will appear the same but here are a handful of greats who are often in the conversation.
Yeats
Starting with a legendary Irish horse, Yeats delivered one of Royal Ascot's most memorable moments in 2009. By that stage he was already the toast of Ascot, having won the Gold Cup three years running prior to his showdown with Paktai. Jockey Johnny Murtagh
asked him to seal victory with a late surge coming off the home turn and he answered emphatically, powering home by three and a half lengths ahead of a horse nearly half his age. It was a fairytale end for the Aidan O'Brien-trained stayer, who became the first horse to win the Grade 1 four times in a row, leaving Murtagh to declare him 'the ultimate heavyweight champion.'
Shergar
Winner of the Derby by a record winning margin, the legendary Shergar met a tragic end. Some 10 lengths separated him and the rest of the field at Epsom in 1981 as he delivered one of the most dominant displays ever seen in the Classic. Wins followed in the Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes as Sir Michael Stoute’s runner attracted critical acclaim. By this stage he was a horse of movie-star status and that why he was sadly the victim of a horse-napping in 1983, stolen from his stable in Kildare by an armed gang to never be seen again.
Sea The Stars
Beaten on debut but undefeated thereafter, the Irish-trained horse produced one of the most dominant seasons ever in 2009. It all started at Newmarket with the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, with John Oxx’s 8-1 shot finishing strongly to beat 3-1 favourite Delegator. His Derby victory followed in a similar fashion, with favourite Fame and Glory edged out over the last 100 yards. And another four Grade 1s followed in a magical year as he became the first horse to complete the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Arc treble.
Frankel
Onto the British-trained horses and by any metric, Frankel is the outstanding flat horse of the century. His record speaks for itself, with 14 races yielding 14 victories including 10 Grade 1 triumphs while Timeform and the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Committee still regard him as the best horse of all time. Recognisable for the large white star on his face and renowned for his high cruising speed and effortless turn of feet, Frankel won pretty much everything there was to win between 7f and 1m2f on British soil. The pick of his victories was arguably the 2000 Guineas in 2011 as he and Tom Queally set a ferocious gallop to win by six lengths in one of the best performances ever seen on a British racecourse.
Nijinsky
No horse has been able to replicate what Nijinsky achieved over 50 years ago. In 1970, he became the first horse in 35 years to win the English Triple Crown (2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger) and only three horses have been able to complete just two legs of the storied hat-trick ever since. His versatility, which helped him conquer the Classics, was evident from his debut season when he won all five races, establishing himself as the outstanding two-year-old in Europe in 1969. At the start of the following season, he delivered the 2000 Guineas with the usual cocktail of poise and power before shaking off a bout of colic to win the Derby by two and a half lengths and a remarkable year was completed with St Leger delight at Doncaster.
Getting to know the top Flat trainers
When seeing the name of a horse on a race card, you will see two names underneath, the jockey and most importantly the trainer, writes Tom Masters. Responsible for taking day-to-day care of the horse, choosing its races and which jockey to ride, trainers are crucial players in the build-up and on race days themselves. In the world of flat racing, there are a few names who have built themselves a reputation, and it is often those names you will see in the winners’ enclosure.
Aidan O’Brien
O’Brien is one of the biggest names in the world of flat racing, taking the standard to new levels since transitioning from national hunt to flat racing in 1996. Starting out under PJ Finn and then working for Jim Bolger, O’Brien would have great success in national hunt
racing, led by his star Istabraq, before being approached by Ballydoyle in 1996. Since then, O’Brien has grown in stature and success, dominating flat racing for over 20 years. There is barely a race missing from his storied CV. O’Brien is the greatest trainer in Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot Gold Cup history with eight wins in each and has trained some of the most iconic horses in the sport, including four-time Royal Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats. O’Brien has been Irish Champion Flat trainer in terms of prize money won in every year since 1999, topping up his tally with plenty of lucrative wins across the globe.
Joseph O’Brien
Joseph, the son of Aidan, first came to prominence as a leading jockey and was crowned Irish Champion Jockey in 2012 with 87 wins before setting the record most winners in a season to defend his title the following year. At just 22, he made the decision to retire as a jockey and transition into training in 2016. He made an almost immediate impact with Group 1 success from Intricately in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and he has since gone on to have success at both national hunt and flat level. He has Group 1 winners in Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, France and in the United States, including an Irish Derby in 2018 with Latrobe and St. Leger Stakes success from Galileo Chrome in 2020. Last year he enjoyed his first win at Royal Ascot, as State of Rest, who also won the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes, Prix Ganay and Cox Plate, claimed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Jessica Harrington
Harrington is a rarity in racing in that she has had great success in both national hunt racing and flat racing. Her list of wins on the flat is hugely impressive and includes 12 Group 1 winners across Ireland, Great Britain and France. Last year she added Irish Oaks glory to her Irish 1,000 Guineas win in 2018 with Magical Lagoon and she has wins at Royal Ascot, Newmarket and Longchamp to name but a few. She finished with 59 winners and over a million euros in prize money in 2022, with only Aidan and Joseph O’Brien winning more races.
Dermot Weld
The globetrotting trainer has built up a worldwide reputation and became the first European trainer to land the coveted Melbourne Cup in 1993 with Vintage Crop. He would go on to lift the trophy again nine years later courtesy of Media Puzzle as fine talent continued to emerge from his yard, which is situated just metres from the entrance to the Curragh. Weld earned Breeders’ Cup success with Tarnawa in 2020 while, closer to home, he has all five Irish Classics on his CV.
Get to know the top flat jockeys
During a race, only one person matters – the jockey, writes Tom Masters. Controlling their horse from parade ring to beyond the finish line, the jockey is responsible for both the welfare of the horse and in-race tactics. There can be a lot of pressure to perform when riding popular horses or big money favourites, making the role of the jockey one of huge importance on a race day. Here, we take you through five of the biggest flat jockeys in the sport, as they look to add some of the most coveted prizes to their CVs this season.
Colin Keane
In 2022, Keane sealed the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey for the third consecutive year, and fourth time overall. As a result, there
are very few races he has not won, with major wins in Ireland, France, USA and Italy – including the Irish Derby, Irish Oaks, Irish 2000 Guineas and Breeders’ Cup. Riding primarily for Ger Lyons and taking some of the most exciting horses to glory, such as Broome, Even So and Tarnawa, Keane has both the record for the fastest century of winners, secured in the 2021 season and the record number of flat wins for a season, with 141.
Billy Lee
Lee first came to prominence at the age of just eight when filmed riding in the Castletown Donkey Derby in 1994, in a clip which can still be spotted on YouTube. Initially he went into jump racing, before finding his way on to the flat, where he has excelled and become one of Ireland’s most established jockeys. His biggest winners include triumphs at Royal Ascot in the Royal Hunt Cup Handicap and in the Britannia Handicap, while he can also boast several Group 1 and Group 2 winners in Ireland.
Shane Foley
Foley has risen to top status among flat jockeys in recent seasons, claiming wins in the biggest races around when riding for Jessica Harrington. That was no different last year, when, on Magical Lagoon, he added the Irish Oaks to his Irish 1000 and 2000 Guineas successes from 2016 and 2018 respectively. In the 2020 season, Foley finished second behind only Colin Keane as the Irish Flat Racing Champion Jockey, missing out by eight races after his 92 wins.
Ryan Moore
At the age of 39, Moore is one of the great jockeys of the modern era, if not of all time. Riding for three of the biggest trainers in his career so far in Richard Hannon, Sir Michael Stoute and now Aidan O’Brien, Moore has enjoyed countless plum rides over the years. He has managed to win all five British classics on more than one occasion and also has several Royal Ascot winners, two Melbourne Cups and last year secured a second Japan Cup with Vela Azul. Moore now has major Group 1 wins in 11 countries across the world and in 2023 is set to be one of the key players once again, as he and Aidan O’Brien chase down more records.
Frankie Dettori
Arguably the greatest flat jockey of all time, Frankie Dettori is synonymous with the sport.The Italian-born star secured his 3,000th British win in 2017 and in a career spanning 35 years, he has accrued multiple wins in virtually all of the biggest races in the world – including four of the five Irish Classics, including five Irish Oaks. Now in his final year competing, Dettori is still at the very top of his game, winning the British 2000 Guineas on Chaldean earlier this month. We are likely to see plenty more of his famous flying dismount celebration this season.
Five of the famous rides in Flat racing history
When it comes to the big Flat meetings, sometimes it’s best to cast your eye a little further than the race favourites. Just look at this year's 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, where neither of the two favourites came out on top. So with the season back up and running, let's take a look at a handful of the biggest shocks, showdowns and fairytales to have ever occurred in Flat racing history.
St Jovite – Irish Derby, 1992
One of Flat racing’s most iconic rivalries came to a head at the Curragh in 1992 as St Jovite stormed to Irish Derby delight in record time. Jostling once again with his Epsom conqueror Dr Devious, St Jovite stormed to a 12-length victory in 2:25.60 which remains the race’s fastest ever winning time. A knee injury had earlier hampered the Jim Bolger horse’s chance of success in the Derby but he
roared to victory on home soil before destroying the King George field at Ascot. There was some retribution for Dr Devious in the Irish Champion Stakes later in the year but the convincing victory at the Curragh earnt St Jovite eternal bragging rights.
Frankel – Sussex Stakes, 2011
Dubbed the ‘Duel on the Downs’, the 2011 instalment of the Sussex Stakes was one of the most eagerly awaited showdowns in flat history. The unbeaten Frankel and winner of the 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes took on Canford Cliffs, the reigning Sussex champion and revered Group 1 machine. It was Tom Queally and Frankel who came out on top, moving clear at the two-furlong pole to hand Sir Henry Cecil a five-length victory and send Canford Cliffs into retirement. Speaking afterwards trainer Cecil declared Frankel “the best I’ve ever seen” and he would go on to finish his 14-race career unbeaten.
My Dream Boat – Prince of Wales’s Stakes, 2016
One of the biggest shocks in Royal Ascot history arrived in 2016 when My Dream Boat upstaged the ‘the Beast from the East,’ A Shin Hikari. The 8-13 favourite from Japan was going for a hat-trick of Grade 1 victories but trailed home last of the six runners. Second-favourite Found seemed assured of victory heading into the closing stages but Adam Kirby masterminded a sublime run to the line and despite drifting across the track, 16-1 outsider My Dream Boat had just enough gas to win by a neck.
Wings of Eagles – Epsom Derby, 2017
The legendary Aidan O’Brien sent a six-strong team to Epsom in 2017 but few were backing 40-1 shot Wings of Eagles to top the pile. Thousands crammed on to the Downs to watch the biggest surprise in the Derby since Snow Knight’s success at 50-1 in 1974, as Padraig Beggy stormed down the outside for a shock victory at the last. Stablemate Cliffs Of Moher had glided past market rival Cracksman two furlongs out but was unable to stride clear, opening the door for Wings of Eagles who claimed victory by three-quarters of a length.
Romanised – Irish 2,000 Guineas, 2018
“It’s the stuff of dreams” was how trainer Ken Condon reacted to Romanised’s shock 25-1 triumph in the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2018. Condon had gone nearly a year without a winner, but his unheralded colt stunned the field including a trio of Aidan O’Brien trained horses who finished second, third and fourth. Things were looking bleak with Romanised last at halfway but he surged home under Shane Foley for what remains Condon’s only Group 1 winner.